Translated Texts: La bivda de Shelomo Ashkenazi, el Sultan Ahmed I i el Vizir Murad Pasha Translation of the first part of a poem by Albert Levy poem recounting how a sinister vizier tries to defame a noble Jewish woman. Translation by Ashley Bobman.

La bivda de Shelomo Ashkenazi, el Sultan Ahmed I i el Vizir Murad Pasha

El djoveno Sultan Ahmed primero,
era muy intelijente i sinsero;
el guadro afeksion i rekonosensia,
a Ester Ashkenazi, mujer de sensia.

Es grasias a eya ke tuvo salvado,
kuando estava en la balansa echado;
grasias a eya salvo dela muerte,
i le guadro una afeksion ardiente.

El Sultan deziava verla kada dia,
por diskutir problemas dela Turkia;
demandava su opinion i sudjestion,
sovre las relasiones de kada nasion.

Ester Ashkenazi era diplomat aguda,
una mujer intelijente i sezuda;
modesta, afavle i virtuoza,
Djudia ferviente i bastante ermoza.

Alos 16 anyos alora aydado,
el Sultan era padre yamado;
2 ijos le eran nasidos,
kon grande seremonia resividos.

Mientres la seremonia, el monarka,
en senyo de rekonosensia, de alta marka,
i kontandose estonses venturozo,
mando a Ester un prezente valutozo.

Ester resivio alora el prezente,
deklaro kuanto su dezeo era fuerte,
de ver al soverano enshashado,
i de briyar mientres su reynado.

El Vizir Murad Pasha el tirano,
el mas kruel del Imperio Otomano;
era atroche, ferose en kuantedad,
insperava el miedo en kada sivdad.

El Vizir, alos djudios aboresia,
era un antisemit de prima kategoria;
selozo, ambisiozo, i muy arogante,
no deziava ver los djudios ir avante.

Murad Pasha, a Ester la djudia,
ke era influente alora en Turkia;
se esforsava de meterle entrompiesos,
porke no tuviera mas suksesos.

Kon mezos mal onestos i brutos,
por alkansar sus malos butos;
perkuro a Ester de kalumniarla,
i de su influensa rebasharla.

Murad Pasha, tuvo la grande ozadia,
de kontinuar su basha infamia;
de rebashar a Ester en ojos del rey,
a nombre de Muhamed i de su ley.

Sultan Ahmed primero, eskuchava,
pero, asolutamente nada konsiderava;
a Ester le guadrava rekonosensia,
i la tratava kon muncha kerensia.

– “por kualo la kalomniash disho el,
al vizir tirano i kruel;
por kualo aboresesh a Ester la Djudia,
una mujer noble en la Turkia?”

“Eya me salvo la vida,
i mi rekonosensia le es meresida;
es intelijente i muy aklarada,
una mujer ke deve ser konsiderada.”

El Vizir Murad Pasha, imprudente,
respondio a el rey lo sigiente:
vos deklaro kon sinseridad i frankeza,
ke Ester dezea onra i grandeza.

“Eya esta en sekretas relasiones,
kon diferentes enimigas nasiones;
por el danio de nuestro emperio,
ke es kon abuzo el mas serio.”

“Esta Djudia, es muy ambesioza,
ipokrita i altamente danioza;
no devemos kedar alora indiferente,
kale apenarla muy seviramente.”

–Bueno disho el rey, tengamos pasensia,
investigemos antes de dar la setensia;
oy yo tengo una siega konfiensa,
i me rekonosensia por eya es imensa

kuando yo toparia, loke deklarates,
ke kon palavras oy me artates;
estonses i solo estonses aktaria,
i la kondana meresida le daria.

El Vizir ke era un mizeravle,
kon un ayre arogante i abominavle;
eskrusho dientes, kon muncha ravia,
viendo el rey era persona savia.

A mal de su pezar, tuvo deklarado,
ke el kavzo fuera investigado;
por topar estonses la verdaderia,
delos abuzos de Ester la Djudia.
(a kontenuar)

Alberto Levi
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Translation: The widow of Solomon Ashkenazi, Sultan Ahmed I, and Vizier Murad Pasha

The young Sultan Ahmed the first
was very intelligent and sincere;
he gained the affection and recognition
of Esther Ashkenazi, a woman of sense.

It is thanks to her that he had been saved,
when his life was on the brink;
thanks to her, she saved him from death,
and kept for him a burning affection.

The Sultan wanted to see her every day
to discuss the problems of Turkey;
he demanded her opinion and suggestion about the relations of each nation.

Esther Ashkenazi was a sharp diplomat,
an intelligent and reasonable woman;
modest, affable, and virtous,
a fervent Jew and quite pretty.

Then at 16 years of age,
the Sultan was named a father;
2 sons were born to him,
received with a grand ceremony.

During the ceremony, the monarch,
as a sign of recognition of high status,
and considering himself fortunate,
he sent to Esther a valuable present.

Esther then received the present,
she declared how strong her desire was
to see the trusted sovereign,
and [for him] to shine during his reign.

The Vizier Murad Pasha, the tyrant,
the cruelest of the Ottoman Empire,
was atrocious, quite ferocious,
inspired fear in every city.

The Vizier, hated the Jews,
was an anti-Semite of highest degree;
jealous, ambitious, and very arrogant,
he did not want to see the Jews progress.

To Murad Pasha, the Jew Esther
who was then influential in Turkey,
tried to put obstacles in front of him
so he would have no more success.

Through dishonest and brutal means,
to achieve his evil goals
he tried to slander Esther
and with his influence he pushed her down.

Murad Pasha had great audacity
in continuing his base infamy,
to demote Esther in the eyes of the king,
in the name of Muhammed and his law.

Sultan Ahmed I listened
but, considered absolutely nothing;
Esther kept her status
and was treated with much care.

– “why did you slander her, he said
to the tyrannical and cruel vizier;
why do you hate Esther the Jew,
a noble woman in Turkey?”

“She saved my life,
and she deserves my recognition;
she is intelligent and very enlightened,
a woman who should be [well] regarded.”

The Vizier Murad Pasha unwisely
responded to the king as follows:
I declare to you with sincerity and frankness
that Esther desires honor and greatness.

“She is in secret relations
with different enemy nations;
for the damage of our empire,
that is with the most serious abuse.”

“This Jew is very ambitious,
hypocritical, and highly dangerous;
we should not remain indifferent then,
one must punish her very severely.”

–Good said the king, we must have patience,
we will investigate before giving the sentence; today I have blind confidence
and my recognition for her is immense

when [if] I would find that which you declared, that with words today you satisfy me, then and only then would I act
and would give her the deserved condemnation.

The Vizier who was a miserable person,
with an arrogant and abominable air;
grinded his teeth with much rage,
seeing that the king was a wise person.

Reluctantly he had declared
that the case be investigated
in order to then find the truth
regarding the abuses of Esther the Jew.
(to be continued)

Albert Levy